News Briefs

Silent Hunter II Ships by Christmas One of the best WWII submarine sims is finally getting a makeover. Silent Hunter II recreates the battles of the North Atlantic between the German wolfpacks and the Allied navies. The new game will feature an improved 3D environment with tons of new effects thrown in. The game is being published by Mattel Interactive and developed by Ultimation, the team currently working on Harpoon 4 and Destroyer Command.

Horse & Musket Expansion Shrapnel Games' 18th century wargame offered gamers a chance to relive the carefree days of the American Revolution or the War of Spanish Succession. Now the company has announed the release of an expansion pack, The Great Battles of Frederick the Great. The two volume expansion pack covers all of Der Alte Fritz's battles from Mollwitz to Kunersdorf. Each of the volumes is priced at $19.95 and is available for download at the Shrapnel Games' site.

Hey Frenchy Eat some cheese and play a good game this Friday. Empire of the Ants from Microids France will be released across Europe this Friday. The real-time anthill sim, based on the remarkably creepy Bernard Werber book, features 13 different types of ants, 8 player multiplayer and "the most realistic AI yet seen in any simulation."

Online Hatfields and McCoys?The HeyNetwork today announced a "strategic partnership" with Valu-Soft to create new online games based on Valu-Soft's "recognizable" properties. Games available for play on the Valu-Soft site include Evel Knievel Stunt Bike, Browning Duck Hunter and an RTS version of the Hatfields and McCoys.